Handle



se t. 16, 1941..

F KUHN ET AL HANDLE Filed April 1, 1940 INVENTORS FRANK KU H N BYLAURENCE H.THOMAS I ATTORNEYS Patented Sept. 16, 1941 HANDLE Frank Kuhn,Grosse Pointe Farms, and Iaurence H. Thomas, B

irmingliam, Mich, asaignors to American Electrical Heater Company,Detroit, Micln, a corporation of Michigan Application April 1, 1940,Serial No. 327,307

' 3 Claims; (Cl. 38-90) The invention relates to handles designed foruse on electric laundry irons and the like, and has for one of itsobjects the obtaining of a construction which can be formed of heatresisting molded material, such as Bakelite. It

is a further object to obtain a construction in which the electricalconnections are enclosed within a portion of thehandle and in such amanner as to provide ready access thereto for repairs. A further objectis to form the handle of a plurality of sections which facilitates themolding of the same\and which, if desired, may be of different colors,and also to provide concealed means for securing these sections to eachother. With these and other objects in view, the

invention consists in'the construction as hereinafter set forth.

In the drawing: 1 Figure l is'a vertical longitudinal section; Figure 2is a bottom plan view;

Figure 3 is a rear elevation with the-cover removed;

Figure 4 is anelevation of the cover viewed from the inside;

Figure 5 is a horizontal section on line 5-5 of Figure 1.

In the present state of the art there is a demand for tools that areornamental in appearance, as well as useful. Synthetic materials, suchas Bakelite canbe made in various colors and molded to any desired form.Also,.,such materials are usually dielectric so asto be well adapted forhandles of electrical instruments, particularly where the electricalconnections are attached thereto. We have, therefore, designed a handleconstruction formed of a plurality of molded sections of Bakelite orsimilar material secured to each other by concealed attachment means toform a unit which is readily attachable to or detachable from the toolto which it is applied.

In detail, our improved handleis preferably formed in three sections A,B and C. The sections A and B form columns which rise from theinstrument and are connected to each other at their upper ends by thehandhold section C. The forward section A is provided at its lower endwith means for attaching it to the hood of the laundry iron or othertool. This is preferably accomplished by a metallic cap D at the bottomof the section having an entrance aperture D at one side of its center,and a narrower slot D exending to the center. The hood of the iron isprovided with an upwardly extending post E for entering through theaperture D and with an annular groove E for engaging the portions of thecap on opposite sides of the slot D.- There is also preferably a concavemetallic member F within the cap D, which provides a recess in 4 Thisconstructionpermits of quickly attaching or dewhich the head of the pinE can move.

taching the section A from the laundry iron or tool.

The section A above the cap D inclines forwardly in an upward directionand atits upper end is provided with a rounded portion A, merging into ahorizontally extending portion A. 'The' latter has a nut G moldedtherein and is also provided with an annular peripheral groove A forminga seat for engaging the end of the handhoid section C. The latter ispreferably tubular so as to reduce the weight of the structure and toprovide a gripping surface of proper size and form. I

The section Bis hollow so as to form a recess for receiving theterminals from the electrical "heating unit and the connections betweenthese terminals and the.flexible conductor cord. As

shown, the section is provided with a flat base portion B for restingupon the hood of the iron, 2; portion B extending upward from this basewhich is of substantially U-shaped cross section to form a recess openat the rear, and a horizontally extending portion B having a peripheralgroove- 3* for receiving the opposite end of the handhold section C. Abolt or screw H inserted through-the recessand an aperture in .theportion B extends axially through the handhold portion 0,. and has itsthreaded end engaged with the nut G. Thus, when the-screw is tightenedthe three sections A, B and C will be securely clamped to each other,while the bolt and nut,

are concealed therein. The base portion B' is apertured at B for thepassage of screws 1, which a. V. W secure the section to the hood of theiron, and is.

further provided with a pair of apertures Bfor the upward passagetherethrough of the terminals J of the heating unit. Between theapertures 3 is a central rib or partition B" which separates theterminals J from each other. One

side of the section B has a projecting boss 13' which is apertured forthe passage of the conductor cord and also for receiving the end of ahelical resilient guard memberL which protects the cord. There is also ahorizontally extending metallic post M, the inner end of which isembedded in the wall'of the section B, its outer end being provided witha knob M and a tapering shank portion M adjacent to said knob. Thisforms a fastener for securing a rear cover plate 3 which closes therecess and completes the section B. The cover plate has formed on itsinner side projecting lugs 3 which hold it in registration with thesection B, and a central inwardly projecting lug B has a recess B"therein for receiving the knob M of the post M. A U-shaped spring memberB is secured to the lug B by a rivet B. This in cooperation with theknob M and tapering shank W forms a springcatch for drawing the coverplate B to its seat and retaining it in this position. The

section B is further-provided with a rearwardly projecting rib Barranged above the cover plate and forming a rest. for supporting thelaundry iron, when not in use, in upright position.

With the construction as described, to attach the handle to the hood ofthe laundry iron, the forward section A is first engaged with the post Eby inserting the latterthrough the entrance orifice D' and'then engagingit with the slot D. This may be accomplished when the handle is in anangular position with the section B raised sufliciently to clear theupwardly extending terminals J. The section B is then ,moved downward toengage said terminals with the aper-' tures B in the base B, after whichsaid section is secured to the hood of the iron by screws J insertedthrough the apertures B In thus drawing the section B downward thesection A is tilted sufliciently to take up any lost motion engagementtherewith.

its threaded portion engaging said threads in the forward columnsection, and a cover for closing the recess in said rear section havinga snap-on 2. A handle for electric laundry irons or the like formed ofdielectric material and including spaced forward and rearward co1umns,attach- I ment means between the forward column and the body of the ironcomprising a metallic cap engaging the lower end of the column, a headedpin and a slotted flange for engaging the same,

the one on said cap and the other on the body of the iron and beingengageable when said column is inclined relative to its normal position,and a screw for clamping the rear column to the body of the iron therebymoving said forward column from its inclined to its normal position andtightening the connection between said headed pin and slotted flange.

3. A handle for electric laundry irons or the i I like comprising aplurality of sections of insulating material including a pair of spacedcolumn sections fashioned at theirupper ends to merge into oppositelyextending portions having between the post E and the cap D, therebyform- I inga tight connection.

What we claim as our invention is:

1. A handle for electric laundry irons or the like comprising aplurality of sections of dielectric material including a pair of spacedcolumn sections merging at their upper ends in oppositely extendingvportions with annular seats at their ends, a tubular handhold section.between said column sections and engaging the annular seats. in theoppositely extending portions thereof, the rear column section beingrecessed from its rear side to form a chamber for receiving theterminals of the electrical heating unit and the connections thereto andsaid forward section having threads therein, "a bolt'for securing saidsections to each other having its head in the recess in' said rearcolumn section its shank passing through said tubular handholdsectionand annular seats .at their ends, a tubular handhold said tubularhandhold section into-engagement with the threads in said forward columnthereby securing said columns and handhold section to each other, a pinand slotted flange attachment between said forward column and the bodyof the iron and a screw for clamping'said rear colunm to the body of theiron, said screw being located in said recess and passing downwardtherefrom through the bottom of said column, and a detachable rear'cover.,plate for closing said recess.

- FRANK KUHN.

LAURENCE H. THOMAS.

